Joe O'Toole (Independent)

I welcome the Minister of State and wish him well with his new responsibilities. He was quick off the mark in writing to all of us to outline his responsibilities and how he might help us.

Speaking very disinterestedly from a party political point of view, I think it was outrageous to amend the motion. I know Senator Dooley has a job to do and he does it very well but this is a most non-threatening motion. If there had not been an amendment to it, I would have said Fine Gael had gone soft in terms of the motion it tabled.